Beeman P17-Cheap pistol with a great trigger

[Bob H.]

Yippee!

My P17 has arrived! I gave it an inspection and a lube.  I found the cocking point of the trigger / hammer group and the trigger wasn't bad, but the trigger return spring seemed heavy.  I removed the right grip and almost messed up.  The trigger pivot is integral to the right grip and the grip must be lifted off the frame in a parallel manner.  The trigger return spring is an extention  spring.  When my spring was at rest the coils touched each other.  I carefully stretched the spring until I has a wee bit of daylight between the coils.  The spring must be removed to do the extention.  Needle nose pliers work well for removal and installation.  I put every thing back together and the trigger is noticeably lighted and still crisp.

The red dot sight is a new experience for me, I do like it at 5 yards.  I need to try longer yardages.  So far, I'm very pleased with the P17.

I think my 30 year old Daisy 717 is going back into its box and on to the shelf.

BobH.

[stalwart]

 took the edge off of the dovetail... it's too sharp even when not used, and gets dinged at the edge.

Frankly, it's all the thing needs to be comfy. Still amazed... and still shooting the heck out of it.

What are you using on the dovetail--sandpaper?

I'm really enjoying this gun. I might scope it some time later, but it's already fun just shooting it.

I really wanted to avoid scratches or an uneven cut, so I pinched a small piece of Scotch Brite (automotive) between my thumb and forefinger nails (in the grooves), and ran it full length back and forth... quite a few times. Left no signs I was there, and made an even radius instead of a dinged edge.

@ Bob... did your intake hole have burrs?

[Bob H.]

No, there were no burrs, the hole is smooth with just a slight radius.  I'm impressed with the cleanliness of the pistol, I added some lithium grease to the outside of the piston. I pulled the red dot sight, I'll try the traditional sights tomorrow.  My tired old eyes might like a small laser sight.  I need to shoot it a bunch to lap the bore in and to get me familiar with the pistol.

BobH.

@ Bob... did your intake hole have burrs?
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[Tucannon]

My P17 came in today, I checked it out and lubed it up sure a fun gun.

[45Man]

Looks like the FO front site is standard, now?

[stalwart]

Sweet, Tucannon. Did you have to deburr anything?

Guys, it took me a while to figure it out, but these triggers can be converted to sweet as heck, zero take-up and nearly zero (adjustable) creep single stage target setups. The only thing preventing a zero creep rig is that pulling the trigger VERY hard, while adjusted for that and on Safe, will flex the pin mounts enough to fire.

I have 1.77mm of total travel adjusted in now, and can get it to over-ride with absurd pressure. At 2+mm, it isn't possible to flex things enough to set it off.

[Tucannon]

I cleaned up around the intake, I did not feel a burr but I just smoothed it out some.  The dovetail is hard on the hand, I'll do some work on that.

[Minuteman]

I really like this gun, but loading a pellet can be an exercise in frustration! My fingers are just too big to easily push a pellet into the breech. Anyone else have issues loading the gun? Have you come up with a solution to this issue?

[stalwart]

Same problem here. And, .177 gets smaller every year.

The P3, I hear, has a nice bevel cut into the breech. I'll be cutting mine.

It looks like enlarging the existing slot in the back of the "slide" would allow easy use of a pellet pen. I'm thinking of getting one... I shoot this a lot more than I thought I would.

Can anyone recommend a pen?

[Slavia]

It makes me happy to hear that I'm not the ony one that believes 0.177" is smaller now than it once was.

I shoot only round-nosed or domed pellets in my Marksman 2004 (Beeman P17).  I find it easier to hook the nose in the breech and then rotate the pellet until it's lined up and can be pushed in.  You can't do that with flat-nosed pellets like Meisterkugelns. 

I make my own adjustable pellet seating tools out of brass thumb nuts (the domed cap nut on the end is for rounding/flaring the skirt).  For this pistol I made a right-angle version from a piece of junked bicycle brake lever.

[Minuteman]

Same problem here. And, .177 gets smaller every year.

The P3, I hear, has a nice bevel cut into the breech. I'll be cutting mine.

It looks like enlarging the existing slot in the back of the "slide" would allow easy use of a pellet pen. I'm thinking of getting one... I shoot this a lot more than I thought I would.

Can anyone recommend a pen?

I guess the best thing is to buy a pen, measure the end, and then make the slot big enough to accomodate the pen. I have been meaning to get a pen anyway. A lot faster loading from what I hear.

[Bob H.]

George,
I'm working on a design that holds the pellet by its waist so that the forward portion of the pellet can be inserted into the chamber.  More on it later, after a prototype is made. 

BobH.

I really like this gun, but loading a pellet can be an exercise in frustration! My fingers are just too big to easily push a pellet into the breech. Anyone else have issues loading the gun? Have you come up with a solution to this issue?

[Tucannon]

It looks like enlarging the existing slot in the back of the "slide" would allow easy use of a pellet pen. I'm thinking of getting one... I shoot this a lot more than I thought I would.

Can anyone recommend a pen?

I was looking at the P17, I have a Crosman pen it looks like one could do some dremel work to the "slide" area and get it to work.

[45Man]

The head of a finishing nail is the best solution so far.  Fits inside hollow of pellet, won't fall off if held upside down.
Take a pellet to the hardware store to find the right size, or you may have something lying around the house.

[Tucannon]

I did the mod works great.

[Minuteman]

I did the mod works great.

Ok, spill the beans! What'd you use and how'd you do it? Looks great!

[Tucannon]

I used a tappered stone in my dremel and cleaned it up with a #11 blade. It cuts easy so go slow. 

[Minuteman]

I used a tappered stone in my dremel and cleaned it up with a #11 blade. It cuts easy so go slow. 

Cool! Thanks.

[stalwart]

It makes me happy to hear that I'm not the ony one that believes 0.177" is smaller now than it once was.

Quite a while back, I got a pile of Copperheads at a great price. They're about half the size now... I'm trying to shoot them up before they disappear entirely.

I used a tappered stone in my dremel and cleaned it up with a #11 blade. It cuts easy so go slow. 

Well done!  Looks great... not at all like a quick fix.

 

George,
I'm working on a design that holds the pellet by its waist so that the forward portion of the pellet can be inserted into the chamber.  More on it later, after a prototype is made. 

BobH.

Please update when you have a proto. Bob, it will sell... I'll buy 1. I like a low scope mount on my rifles, and that always leads to having no wiggle room.

[stalwart]

I had just settled into my daily session, when the groups suddenly blew out. I ran about 25 more, before I decided it wasn't me after all.

Turns out, a screw had pulled through. The bracket is good steel, and the hole had not enlarged. The screw had been hanging on a few thou... and gave in. It's head had been made to the lesser of the tolerances we've come to reasonably expect at these prices.

I have run a few hundred through this, and dry fired it at least a hundred (I do trigger jobs in stages with frequent tests... takes more time, but I haven't had to buy replacement sear parts for decades)... and this is the only failure yet.

I can't seem to muster up any real outrage over this. It's a $.03 fix... but I can't just let it go at that. I'm going to take Slavia's suggestion, and go for T-nuts and machine screws... so I can tear down at will without worry.